Stronger IMO support for net-zero by 2050 emissions target – UMAS

A majority of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) member states have expressed support for the revision of the greenhouse emission (GHG) target for shipping, according to University Maritime Advisory Services (UMAS).

PHOTO: Exhaust gases flow from the funnel of a cruise ship. Getty Images

The IMO’s fourteenth Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases (ISWG GHG 14) meeting was held last week. During the meeting, member states discussed strategies to reduce GHG emissions from the shipping sector.

The IMO’s initial GHG strategy sets out a target to halve maritime GHG emissions by 2050. The maritime regulatory body is expected to revise this target at its Marine Environment Protection Committee's (MEPC) 80th meeting scheduled for July this year.

31 of 45 member states have strongly supported the idea that shipping needs to reach net zero by 2050, UMAS said. Also, there is a consensus that ships should use at least 5% of alternative fuels by 2030. However, it is unclear whether the proposed mandate is only applicable to zero-emission fuels or could be extended to cover low-carbon fuels as well, UMAS added.

The general opinion among member states is that the IMO should also set a GHG reduction target for 2040 and that this should be in line with the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Several IMO members have also supported market-based measures such as a carbon levy. However, some members have raised concerns about how such measures can be effectively implemented in real-world conditions, UMAS said.

By Nithin Chandran

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